Hope Denied
by Reinao Tanaka
Summary: AU The first Death Star was not destroyed, the Rebel base on Yavin IV was, and Luke was taken captive by Vader. A look at the darker side of the galaxy far, far away. LV. A different take on the father-son relationship.
1. Chapter 1

I was watching _A New Hope_ today and it started me wondering on what would happen if Han didn't come back to help and Luke failed to destroy the Death Star. I glanced through the archives and it didn't look like anyone else had tried this, so here is my version of Star Wars.

Disclaimer: Lucas owns it. I wasn't even alive when the original trilogy came out, so there is no way it could be mine.

* * *

_Focus, Luke,_ he told himself. The young man tried to isolate himself from the chaos coming over his headset. He reached within for that illusive tendril of the Force which he had just begun to develop.

"I'm hit! I can't stay with you," the garbled voice drew him from his meditative state.

"Get clear, Wedge. You can't do any more good back there!" he responded.

His new friend pulled away from the trench with an apology, which Luke barely heard. He reached for the Force again, felt it brush tantalizingly against his mind, but could not grasp it.

"Hurry, Luke, they're coming in much faster this time. I can't hold them!" Biggs' voice broke his concentration, reminding the pilot of the trio of TIE fighters which dogged him and his companion.

He glanced back, noting that they were indeed coming closer.

"Artoo, try and increase the power," he urged his astromech.

The droid beeped an affirmative. Luke pushed away thoughts of the Force for the moment, afraid he wouldn't be able to utilize it during the stress of battle. He activated his targeting device, glancing into it to get a fix on his objective.

"Hurry up, Luke!" Biggs said.

The young pilot breathed out, pushing his fighter to a faster speed. He hoped he would be able to target the exhaust port at this speed.

"Wait!" the scream caught him off guard and his head whipped around in time to catch his friend's fighter burst into flames.

The Force chose that moment to return to him, overwhelming him as the impact of Biggs' final scream was echoed in his mind. Tears came to his blue eyes, but he blinked them away. There would be time to mourn his friend later. Now, he had to destroy the Death Star. His jaw set with growing anger.

The Empire would pay for every Rebel life that had been sacrificed in this war, for every innocent who had died on Alderaan.

He focused his concentration back on his targeting device, anger lending a sharper edge to his skills. He lined up the targeting hairs, releasing another breath. Suddenly, a voice again broke his concentration, though this time the voice echoed through his mind instead of coming through his headset.

_Use the Force, Luke._

He wanted to trust the voice of his mentor, but this was different from his game with the remote. Lives were riding on his every move--the lives of his friends. He couldn't risk them because a dead man was telling him to trust an invisible energy source.

_Let go, Luke._

He closed his eyes, debating within himself. Trust Ben, or rely on what he knew would work? He looked at the targeting computer.

_Luke, trust me._

It was those words that made him decide. Ben had never let him down. He would trust his mentor He reached over and switched off his computer, drawing the concerned inquiries of his superiors.

"I'm all right," he responded.

He again tried to shut himself off as he reached for the Force. Laser fire and a screech from Artoo shattered his fledgling hold on it. He turned his head to look back at the little droid, who was smoking from the hit.

"I've lost Artoo!" he said, fear entering his voice.

The trio of TIE fighters was right behind him. He could feel the laser edge of their intent narrowing in on his fighter. They were going to get him before he could reach the exhaust port.

"Ben," he mumbled.

Now, more than ever, he needed his mentor's help. But now, Ben remained silent. Fear openly invading his mind, he reached frantically for the Force. It remained elusive.

There was no time now to reactivate his targeting device, for he was too close to the port. He narrowed his eyes, shooting off two torpedoes. As soon as they cleared his fighter, he knew he had failed.

"I missed!" he announced over the com system.

He felt a triumphant surge from one of the pilots behind him as a laser bolt clipped the wing of his fighter, sending it spinning. The enemy fighters came after him, but something else had caught the young pilot's attention.

The Death Star had been activated!

He steadied his X-wing just in time to see a brilliant green laser bolt streak toward Yavin IV. The moon exploded into shards as a wave of terror sliced through him. The faces of each of his friends flashed through his mind, as the dying screams of their souls shivered through the Force.

"No!" he screamed into his headset, as though his words could rewind time so that the tragedy had never occurred.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"The Force is strong in this one," Vader murmured to himself.

No other pilot had ever managed to do such a good job at avoiding his skills, but this Rebel's luck would soon run out. Beneath his helmet, the Dark Lord of the Sith smirked. His lasers struck the X-wing once, twice, and the pilot went spinning into space. There went the Rebels' vain hope of destroying the Death Star.

_Long live the Empire_, he thought as the Rebel base exploded in a flash of light.

Vader started after the X-wing pilot, who was struggling to bring his ship under control. Suddenly, a psychic wave of grief blasted through the strong defenses he had established around his mind. Grief saturated him--the agony of the only surviving Rebel. Vader frowned slightly. He had been right about this one being strong in the Force. In fact, judging by the way this untrained pilot had ripped through his defenses, he had to have a midichlorian count close to Vader's own, if not higher.

"I want this one alive. Tractor beam his fighter and bring him in," he ordered.

"Yes, Lord Vader," the on-duty Imperial officer said without hesitation.

It was an unusual request, but all Imperials knew the penalty of arousing Darth Vader's wrath.

He circled his TIE behind the X-wing as it was brought into a docking bay, noting that the pilot made no attempt to fight the beam. A brief probe of his mental state revealed that the Rebel was going into shock. No doubt this was the first time he had encountered death on a large scale and his mental defenses were not strong enough to recover from the psychic blow.

Vader landed his TIE and quickly lipped out of it, striding over to the Rebel fighter. A squad of stormtroopers entered the bay, but he waved them off. He could deal with this pilot by himself. An untrained Rebel was no match for a Sith lord. He hit the outside release and the cockpit rose with agonizing slowness. Vader lifted the pilot out using the Force, laying him on the hard floor with a carefulness which was unusual in the Sith. The pilot was shorter than he expected, with a lanky frame which showed that he had not yet grown to his full stature. He was young then, no more than a teenager. It explained why Vader's Jedi hunters hadn't killed him. He would have been only a baby in the aftermath of the Clone Wars, when the Jedi were being exterminated. Vader knelt beside him and pulled off his helmet. The sight which met his eyes caused him to freeze.

This Rebel pilot was almost a carbon copy of how he had looked when he was a child, before the darker side of the galaxy had hardened him. His tousled blond hair, darkened with sweat, hung in his face. His eyes fluttered open, revealing blue orbs that were eerily like his own. The Rebel stared blankly up at him for a moment, eyes not really focusing on the Sith lord.

"Ben I...trusted you," he whispered.

Vader's eyes narrowed. What was this boy talking about? The pilot went limp, eyes rolling back into his head before his lids slid closed. Vader stood, turning to the stormtroopers.

"Take him to the med bay," he ordered.

The trooper saluted and Vader watched them carry the pilot off. He glanced back at the X-wing, at last noticing the fried astromech behind the cockpit. Again, he was startled, for the droid looked like one he had known long ago. That was impossible, but he still found himself ordering a technician to repair the droid. He turned and left the docking bay behind him, cape swirling behind him. He needed to report to his master.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Han Solo leaned back in his pilot's chair, staring blankly at the blurred starscape in front of him. Beside him, Chewbacca huffed a question. The human turned his head to his first mate, forcing a slight smile.

"I bet we blew that place just in time, eh, Chewie?" he said.

The Wookie did not appear convinced, instead asking another question. Han sighed, returning his attention to the controls in front of him.

"Yeah, I'm sure Leia and the kid are doing just fine," he said.

The control panel in front of them sparked and they slammed back into real space. Han let out a startled curse, jumping up from his chair.

"Blasted motivator blew out again. Let's head for the closest planet and make some repairs, Chewie," he said.

The Wookie grunted and turned his attention to the controls as Han went back to tinker with the hyperspace motivator. It took several hours for them to dock at the nearest planet. Despite the urgent need to get back to Tatooine and pay off Jabba, Han decided to wait to repair the ship. Trailed by his first mate, he entered the nearest bar. The two settled down in their seats and Han ordered drinks for the both of them. He took a sip of the alcoholic beverage, idly listening to the conversations around them.

"-blew it up. So much for the Rebellion, I guess," a human said.

His Twilek companion responded, "They were fools to think they could defy the Empire."

Han's heart lurched into overdrive, but he forced nonchalance as he turned to the two next to him.

"What happened?" he asked.

The human appeared to consider telling him to buzz off, but a glance at the Wookie looming behind him changed his mind.

"You know that Death Star they used to destroy Alderaan? Well, they used it on the Rebel base. Got all of them in one blow. Poor fools didn't stand a chance," he said.

_But they did!_ Han's mind cried.

He had listened in on their plans, seen the blueprint of the station for himself. The kid--Luke, had seemed confident that they would be able to defeat the Death Star.

_But he is just a kid. Of course he would be overconfident. I should have stayed to help them,_ he thought.

He slammed a coin down on the bar to pay for their drinks, before rising to stalk from the bar. Chewbacca hurried after him, growling a question. When Han didn't answer, he lifted the smaller human from the ground.

"We should have been there!" Han choked, though no sign of his emotions showed on his face.

The Wookie set him down, responding in his own language.

Han again ignored him, stalking back toward the _Falcon_. So maybe they couldn't have done anything to help the Rebels. However, despite his protestations to the contrary, he did care. Maybe not about the Rebellion itself, but Luke and Leia had managed to squirm their way into his hardened heart. Now they were both dead. It wasn't his fault, but Han still blamed himself.

* * *

So, there is the first chapter. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but I don't have any more time to tweak it. Please let me know what you thought of it and if you would like it continued!


	2. Chapter 2

_Hope Denied_

Chapter Two

A lone X-wing limped into a hanger on the planet Mon Calamari. A small delegation of aliens awaited him, their fishy faces grave. The cockpit hatch slowly lifted and the pilot pulled off his helmet. He discarded it in the seat before he dropped to the ground. His face was lined with exhaustion and streaked with tears.

"Captain Antilles," the head Mon Cal greeted.

Wedge nodded, "Admiral Ackbar, I would say it's a pleasure, but..."

"We feel your loss, Captain. However, not all hope for the Rebellion has been lost," the admiral responded, "Come with me."

Wearily, Wedge trailed after the group. After they entered a briefing room, he sank down into a chair, stretching out his legs and disregarding proper policy. He was too tired--both in body and spirit--to care.

"We have recently begun the production of a new ship called a Star Cruiser. They would have the military power to defeat a Star Destroyer," as Ackbar spoke, he punched a button and an image of a large, circular ship appeared. Schematics began to flash along the screen, what they contained enough to make Wedge straighten in his chair. The Mon Cal added, "With a fleet of these and careful tactical planning, we just might be able to defeat the Empire after all."

The lone human slumped again.

"What about the Death Star? The Empire could just wipe out Mon Calamari now, before it builds enough firepower to create a serious threat," he said.

Ackbar's round eyes fixed on Wedge.

"That, Captain, is where you will come in," he stated.

The human let out a sigh.

_I could really use you right about now, Luke,_ he thought.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Is he awake yet?" Vader asked as he stalked into the medical bay.

"Not yet, Lord Vader, though I anticipate him awakening any time now," the med droid reported.

He nodded, head lowering to study the limp figure restrained on the bed. The Rebel's flightsuit had been stripped off him, but the regulation shirt and pants he wore beneath it gave no clue to his identity. He did not possess any sort of i.d. and the none of the databases could match his photo. This told Vader that he was a new recruit, probably from a backworld.

He had conducted a surface scan of the pilot's mind, but the only residual memories outside his mind were too clouded by pain to be of any use. In an attempt to shield his emotions from the blow they had received, the Rebel's mind had all but blocked off his feelings from his memories. Had the Rebel possessed less Force talent, Vader would have risked assaulting his mental defenses. But any attempt to do that with this prisoner would likely end up throwing Vader across the room. Thus, out of other options, he had to wait for the pilot to wake.

The Sith lord hated waiting.

He turned his head as Grand Moff Tarkin walked into the room. The tall, thin man halted at his side, surveying the captive through narrowed eyes.

"Still hasn't regained consciousness?" he asked.

"No," Vader answered.

There was a short silence, broken only by the rhythmic sound of the Sith lord's breathing and--oddly similar--the rushing of the air mask over the Rebel's face. He folded his hands behind his back, pacing over to the young man.

"The Rebellion is no threat to us anymore, so I see no reason not to terminate him," the Moff said.

"I want him kept alive," the dark-caped man responded firmly.

Something about this boy haunted him. Vader was certain that he had never met him before, but he seemed so familiar. He had only mentioned the captive in passing when reporting to the Emperor, nothing about how powerful the boy had the potential to become. It was the first time he had ever intentionally avoided telling his master something.

"Very well, Lord Vader," Tarkin said

The Sith returned his attention to his captive, ignoring Tarkin as he left the hospital room. His gaze sharpened at a subtle change in the boy's breathing. He waited a moment longer before probing at his mind. The young man's mind was shut tight to him now, not even the vaguest hint of surface memories for him to look through. He withdrew the Force tendril.

"I know you're awake," he said.

His captive's chest stilled, then those blue eyes opened reluctantly. The boy's hands flexed against the cuffs which restrained them.

"What is your name?" Vader asked.

The young man looked away from him, scanning the medbay. Vader frowned in annoyance. He was not used to being ignored. His fist started to tighten, then he thought better of it. He did not want to strangle the boy before he even learned who he was.

"There is no one left to betray, young one. Your silence will help no one," he continued.

The boy met his gaze, with only the slightest hint of fear showing in his eyes. The majority of the emotions he was emitting were consumed by anger.

"You will learn nothing from me willingly, Vader," he spat.

The Sith actually smiled behind his mask, not that this Rebel would ever know.

"I sense much anger in you," he said as he walked closer. His gloved hand grasped the boy's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze as he added cruelly, "You are not too different from me when I was your age."

The Rebel jerked his chin away, blue eyes flashing.

"I'm nothing like you!" he growled.

Vader was content to let the boy think he had won this round. Whether he knew it or not, he had given the Sith lord valuable information just by his reactions. There would be many more battles to come, which Vader intended to win. He was looking forward to the fight this boy would put up.

"Rest while you can. I will be back soon and I will expect answers then," he said as he left the medical bay.

He glanced back over his shoulder. The Rebel had closed his eyes again, but distress was leaking out of him like energy from a ruptured power cell. This was going to be most enjoyable.

* * *

Thanks to everyone who left me such positive responses! I'm glad to see that you are enjoying the idea. Below I'm goin to answer some questions reviewers left me, so if you don't want to read those, I want to thank you for reading this chapter. Please leave me a review (as short or long as you want) and let me know what you thought of this chapter!

**BrokenAvenger21:** Well, Luke certainly isn't beginning the story with the intention of joining the Dark Side. We'll have to see what happens!

**Greatstar:** Hope this chapter answered some of your questions about Wedge's fate. It's a good thing X-wings are equipped with hyperdrives. n.n

**Kyle Zak: **It is my intention to bring more Force powers/lightsaber duels into the story. Right now, however, Luke has only had a few days of training so he is decidedly lacking in skill. I hope to see that change as this story goes on.

To everyone who disliked the idea of Leia dying...I didn't like it either! But then I didn't like it when Lucas blew up Alderaan and Baal Organa. The sad fact of life is that it is pretty hard to escape the destruction of an entire planet. I hope you guys will still continue to read the story, though!


	3. Chapter 3

_Hope Denied_

Chapter Three

Mara Jade stood in the hoverlift, scrutinizing her appearance in the highly-polished metal. Her shoulder-length hair fell loose around her pale face. Her green eyes still held the open gaze of youth, though they had long ago lost their innocence. She ran her hands down her black jumpsuit, pausing for a moment over her lightsaber. The lift slid to a stop and her face instantly hardened in determination. The door slid open to a darkened chamber, though what little could be seen was clearly of the highest quality.

Nothing second-best was permitted in the throne room of the Emperor.

She strode past the crimson-robed Imperial guards, coming to a halt before an ornate throne. She fluidly dropped to her knees, bowing her head and allowing her red-gold hair to fall down around her face.

"You summoned me, Emperor?" she said.

"Ah, yes, my young Hand," the aged voice echoed strongly in the otherwise silent throne room, "You may rise."

She stood, brushing her hair back. Her green eyes unflinchingly held the yellow stare of her master. A hideous smile twisted his face as he studied the teenager.

"Tell me, my Hand, have you reviewed Lord Vader's latest communiqué?" he asked.

"Yes, Emperor," Mara responded.

"And what do you think of it?" he urged.

"If you do not think it too bold of me…he is hiding something," she said firmly.

He smiled in approval.

"Very astute, my Hand. I wish for you to go to the Death Star and observe both Vader and his Rebel prisoner. Report to me anything you deem worthy of note," he said.

Mara bowed from the waist, then turned and left the throne room behind. She would not disappoint her Master. If Vader thought he could hide anything from the Emperor and his Hand, he was sadly mistaken.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Han Solo's grip on the armrests of his chair was tight. His tanned face had become unnaturally pale as he surveyed the asteroid field which was all that remained of Yavin IV. In the copilot's seat, Chewbacca yowled mournfully.

"I can't believe they're gone," Han whispered.

Suddenly, a proximity alarm went off. Han slapped at the sensor, silencing the alarm and rapidly warming up the engine.

"Do you see it, Chewie?" he asked.

The Wookie grunted a negative.

The com unit beeped, signaling that whoever it was was trying to contact them. Cautiously, Han flipped the switch.

"Solo, is that really you?" a voice crackled over the speakers.

Han's brows drew together and he shared a glance with his copilot.

"Who is this?" he asked.

A battered X-Wing swooped into view in front of them, followed by a handful of other fighters and a single, aged battle cruiser.

"This is Wedge Antilles, one of Luke's friends," the lead X-wing answered.

Han instantly straightened in his chair, shooting a glance toward Chewbacca.

"Luke...is the kid all right?" he asked.

There was a long silence on the other end of the com. At last, Wedge spoke, "Look, Captain Solo, we've set up a temporary base on Yavin II. Why don't you follow us there where we can talk in person?"

Han sighed, any hope he had felt for Luke's survival draining away to nothing. He leaned forward closer to the com.

"All right, Wedge. Lead the way," he said.

An hour later, Han sat at a table across from Wedge. Chewie stood protectively behind him. The pilot lifted a cup of caf to his lips, wrinkling his nose at the bitter smell. Holding his breath, he took a gulp of the strong liquid. He stifled a cough. Wedge grinned.

"Sorry, should have warned you about that. We pilots like it strong enough to clean blast scores off the hulls of our fighters," he said.

Han waved the apology aside and said, "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

The Rebel's grin quickly faded and he looked down at his hands.

"The Empire dealt us a serious blow when they destroyed Yavin IV, but they haven't completely taken us out of the fight. The Rebellion has friends in high places who are currently developing weapons which will allow us to fight on even ground with the Empire. In the meantime though, I have been commissioned to lead missions to distract the Empire from our plans. I came back to Yavin IV hoping to find some recruits who survived the battle...I found you."

He looked up at the last sentence to meet Han's gaze. The smuggler set his cup down, shaking his head.

"I've been through this already, Wedge. I don't want to join the Rebellion!" he said.

The Rebel looked pained.

"Last time you said that, I lost everyone who was important to me. You might not want this, but sometimes we have to do things we do not want to do. I think the Rebellion needs you, Captain Solo," he said quietly.

The words hit Han like a physical blow. Reeling from it, he stood and walked to the door.

"Let me...think about it," he said. Chewie started to follow him, but he held up a hand, "I need time alone."

Chewbacca yowled mournfully as the door slid shut behind him.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Luke tried to concentrate on evening out his breathing and to settle into the meditative state which Ben had taught him. The Force had failed him when he needed it most, but there was no way he could get out of this situation without it. A tendril of the power brushed against his consciousness and he tried his best to grab hold of it. As always, though, it slid through his hold like a handful of sand. He bit back an exclamation of anger.

'_You are not too different from me.'_

"No," he said, jerking against his cuffs.

As anger swirled in him, the Force rose easily to match it. Without thinking, he formed it into a hammer and drove it against his bonds. Shattered, they fell to the bed and he sat up. He was filled with sudden horror. Ben had not spoken much of the Dark Side, other than mentioning it in connection to Lord Vader.

"Maybe I am like him," he whispered, hating the very thought of it.

But there was no time to dwell on that now.

He stood and slipped into the hallway, surprised by the lack of security. Vader must be underestimating him. He looked either way, but both ends of the corridor appeared identical.

"I wish I had Artoo," he whispered.

There was nothing for it but to choose a path and continue on until he came to something he recognized. Had Vader placed him in the prison area, he could have easily found his way to the docking bays, but he had no idea how to get there from the medical bay. He closed his eyes, taking a breath, then moved quickly down the left corridor.

* * *

And I'm going to end it there because I'm cruel. n.n Wil Luke make it out, or will Vader catch him? Tune in next week for the exciting continuation of Hope Denied! Please take the time to leave me a review with what you thought!

Thanks to **Anime-StarWars-fan-zach, tigermoonlight67, Balance in the Dark, Jade Pilot, Ceto, Zigflorian, Xenia Marvolo, ILDV, **and **Lilith Kayden** for reviewing!


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry this is so late!! College struck with a vengeance. I've been leaving my dorm room before eight am and not getting back until eight or nine at night. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I hope to resume regular Friday updates this coming week, providing my professors cooperate! :D

* * *

_Hope Denied_

Chapter Four

Luke was beginning to think he was lost. In every direction, metal walls stretched in an unending pathway. Everything looked the same. He had no idea how the Imps managed to navigate their way around the Death Star. As it was, he wasn't even certain whether or not he had left the medical area. Had they placed him in the prison section, he probably would have been able to find his way back to the docking bays, but as it was he felt more like he was running around in circles. He halted in the middle of the deserted hallway, panting lightly. Sweat beaded his temple, threatening to slide into his eyes. He swiped it away with the back of his hand.

Suddenly, over the rush of his breathing, he heard the unmistakable, measured tread of stormtroopers. He froze, panicking. He wore faded tan fatigues that were too large for his small frame. It would definitely not pass as Imperial issue clothing. There were smooth corridors on either side—no place to hide.

'_Think, Luke,'_ he urged himself.

He closed his eyes, blowing out a heavy breath. Back up the hallway and around the curve, there had been a door. He turned and retreated the way he had come. The steps of the stormtroopers followed him, but their steady pace showed that they had not seen him. Frantically, he slapped the manual release on the side of the door. Throwing himself into the room, he turned and closed the door behind him just as the Imps rounded the curve. A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

Luke turned to survey his safe haven, only to find the muzzle of a blaster pointed squarely at his torso. Slowly, he spread his arms out in a nonthreatening manner. The black-clothed Intelligence officer smirked at him.

"On your knees, Rebel scum," he ordered.

The young man started to lower himself to the floor. His eyes were fixed on the blaster, an expression of intense concentration wrinkling his brow. The officer's gaze widened as the blaster began trembling in his grasp. It suddenly shot toward the Rebel as though it had gained a mind of his own.

"Emperor's black bones!" he swore, moving toward Luke.

He was too late, for the Rebel had already flipped the blaster setting to 'stun.' A wreath of blue light enveloped the officer and he collapsed. Luke quickly restrained him with his own binders, at last taking the time to more fully study his surroundings. He was in an office of some sort. He dragged the Imp behind the desk and dumped him there. The officer would at least be out of sight if anyone happened to glance into the office. That done, he bent over the computer console. His fingers flew over the keypad, calling up a schematic of the Death Star. He scanned it, trying to imprint the way to the docking bays into his mind.

Luke started for the door, but stopped with his hand on the release. His head turned back to the desk that hid the Intelligence officer. After a moment of hesitation, he made his way back to the stunned man. He stripped the officer to his underclothes and dressed himself in the uniform. It was a bit large, but much better than his battered fatigues. He ran a hand through his disheveled blond hair in a vain attempt to straighten it before setting the hat on his head. One last tug at the shirt, then he boldly stepped back into the main corridor.

He barely restrained a guilty flinch when he turned the corner right into a squad of stormtroopers, remembering himself only when they all stepped aside to make way for him. A cold nod, a moment of holding his breath, then he was past them. More confidently, he continued on his way.

Half an hour later, he turned a corner and saw a docking bay in front of him. His steps quickened before he remembered himself. He adjusted his near-run to a confident stride. Just outside the blast door that led to the bay, he staggered as though he had been hit with a stun beam.

This was the place where Vader had killed Ben. He could feel the echoes of the old man's death through the Force. Unbidden tears surged to his eyes until he could barely make out the form of the shuttle sitting in the docking bay.

"Just a little further. Hold it together," he whispered.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Vader stood on the command deck, barely paying attention to the fearful whispers in the crew pit behind him. They had every right to fear for their lives, for the Dark Lord was seething. His Rebel had escaped more than an hour ago and the fools on this battle station had yet to find him. If someone didn't bring him the boy's location in five minutes, one of their number was going to die a slow death by asphyxiation.

Only seconds after Vader had made that decision, a trembling officer approached him.

"L-lord Vader! We have him. Docking bay 314," he said.

"On screen," the Sith rumbled.

An instant later, an image of the docking bay filled the screen in front of Vader. His gaze instantly found the slender figure clothed in a black Imperial uniform. Dirty blond hair poked out from underneath the standard issue cap. It was definitely his Rebel. The boy suddenly glanced over his shoulder and his stride lengthened to a run. Stormtroopers appeared at the corner of the screen, lifting blasters to aim at the fleeing man. Behind his mask, Vader's eyes narrowed to furious slits when the first trooper's shot was an angry red bolt. They were going to kill him!

Just as quickly, his eyes widened when the boy spun around, raising a hand as though to fend off the shot. It dissipated into his hand and, an instant later, the gun was pulled from the trooper's hands. The Rebel fired a few shots back at his pursuers before running for the shuttle. The door to the shuttle closed.

Vader's scarred lips twisted into a smile. There was no way he was letting the young Force user escape him now. It had taken the Dark Lord months to learn how to absorb energy and turn it to his own uses. It was a skill only a few could even master. That this boy seemed to do it on instinct was fascinating. He would love to do a midi-chlorian count on the Rebel.

Vader turned to the officer still standing at his side.

"I want him alive. If he is killed, then I will kill those involved for their incompetence," he growled.

"Y-yes, Lord Vader!" the officer squeaked.

Vader turned back to the screen as the engines on the shuttle lit and it lifted off the ground. The little Rebel had forgotten about the numerous tractor beams. His attempt at escape was futile. The shuttle had barely left the docking bay before one of the crew members let out a soft exclamation.

"Got 'im!" the Imperial said.

Vader stretched out his mind toward the Rebel.

'You will never be able to escape me,' he spoke to his mind.

'We'll see about that!' was the boy's cocky response.

Vader felt a twinge in the area where his heart had once been. In so many ways, this Rebel was reminding him of…

No, that life no longer held any meaning for him.

He was distracted from his thoughts when the door to the shuttle's cargo area opened and boxes came tumbling out. The man handling the tractor beam let out a curse as the beam tried to lock onto both the shuttle and the packages. It failed miserably, shorting out as a result. The shuttle drove for space, where it could accelerate into hyperspace. Just then, a matte black fighter appeared on the screen.

"Need any help, Vader?" a sardonic female voice came over the com.

The Dark Lord stiffened.

"Everything is under control, Jade," he growled.

On screen, the shuttle vanished into hyperspace. Dead silence fell over the bridge, everyone waiting for the Sith to erupt. Then…

"So you don't care that your prisoner just escaped?" Jade asked dryly.

Vader's teeth clenched. If he didn't respect the Emperor so much, his Hand would be gasping for breath right about now. As it was, he was forced to simply strangle the officer next to him in her place. The crew watched wide-eyed as the man collapsed in front of them.

"As you said, he is _my_ prisoner. I will handle the situation," Vader said.

Within her fighter, Mara Jade smiled. At Vader's telling reaction. The Emperor's subordinate was quite possessive of what he considered 'his' property, and apparently this Rebel had become important to him. There was definitely more going on here than Vader had been willing to admit. She was determined to find out what exactly it was.

* * *

**Anime-StarWars-fan-zach**: I have been reading Dynasty and it is very good. However, I had to stop reading it when I started this, as I did not want to unconsciously steal anything from that story. n.n

**Balance in the Dark:** You will be learning about Vader's conversation with the Emperor later in the story, I think. It didn't suit my purposes to reveal it at this time though...I think. I've forgotten some of my schemes since it has been so long. ;;

**Lord Revan:** I hope so too. :D

**Somebody:** Yes, Leia is dead.

Thanks to **o0x.ashley.x0o, Larisa, ILDV, phantom-jedi1, Treenahasthaal, AquaRose, Water-Soter, Bekki, spywarlordgurbabishgrady, **and **allison lightning** for reviewing last chapter.

PLEASE leave a review if you liked, or even if you didn't like, this chapter. It can be as short or as long as you want!


End file.
